Deceit
by WhisperedTruths
Summary: Veronica worries. Logan's a jerk. Backup's hurt. Exploding buildings, white windowless vans, withdrawal of cash and head gashes. Wallace, Alicia, and Mac appear. All in the first chapter!


Deceit: the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Veronica Mars, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. Anything in which you recognise i do not own.

Chapter 1 The difficulty in Making Choices.

Veronica Mars sat at her desk staring at her computer screen. It was normal day and a normal assignment. It was homework. She would much rather be out tailing cheating spouses than writing an essay about John Milton's _Paradise Lost_. It wasn't even that difficult for her to write, she just didn't want to bother with it, hence the staring at the screen. Plus, she might be a little worried about her dad. He had gone off chasing a bail jumper, it had been four days and he hadn't called her to check in. Veronica hoped everything was okay, that he didn't have cell phone service, that he forgot. But, she knew this was serious in her heart. He dad always checked in on her. She sighed. She sighed again. Suddenly the idea of writing an essay was more appealing than worrying about her father's safety. She started typing.

It was Thursday. She promised herself that if she didn't hear from her father by Friday she'd leave directly after school. She'd be in San Francisco in six or seven hours, if there was no traffic. There was always traffic though.

Veronica walked down the halls of Neptune High and cringed. She hated this place, that was evident. But today the lovely rich kids had decided to spray paint 'whore' on her locker. She stopped to think what she might have done recently to deserve that. Ah, it didn't matter. She was, however, going to find out who had done it, and it shouldn't be too hard considering the paint was still wet and there was a sloppy smear mark underneath the vile word. Veronica opened up her locker and placed her books in there, she took her camera out, closed the locker door, and snapped some crime scene photos.

"Don't even bother Mars, we caught the culprit." Vice Principal Clemmons announced as he strolled by her locker, the red handed punk in tow. The punk glared at her and flipped her off. She laughed. She'd never seen this guy before and he hated her. She loved Neptune high, a place where people could hate you without even knowing you.

"I knew those rumors were true." Logan Echolls laughed as he walked by with a group of her old friends.

"Don't forgot Echolls, you still owe me for last night." She called after him. He turned around and walked over to her with his famous 'I'm an Asshole' smirk.

"Will this cover it?" He asked handing her a one dollar bill. She reached out and grabbed it, along with his wrist. She immediately pulled him into a police hold. She shoved his face up against her locker.

"Cover it?" She yelled hysterically. She was a much better actor than his father.

"How can this cover it? You gave me an STD. No, this won't cover it." She tightened her grip on him and willed tears to start falling down her face. He opened his mouth but she just shoved him harder against the locker.

"And don't forget you still owe me for the abortion. That was five hundred dollars I didn't want to spend. But you pled and begged and cried for me to get rid of it. You said it'd ruin your reputation, that Daddy Echolls would ground you forever. That all your friends could never forgive you for loving a traitor. You remember that, Logee. All those wonderful nights we had, where it was just you and me and your dad's yacht sailing off towards Catalina. You remember how we made love on the deck, right at sunrise." She paused trying to stop from laughing.

"How can this make up for all that I gave up for you. All those memories your denying me." She let him go, wiped her fake tears away and stalked off to class. The hallway erupted into fits of laughter, Veronica could only assume it was because the word 'whore' was now imprinted on Logan Echolls' face. Veronica couldn't help but smile. Sometimes she really loved her life.

"Now that was awesome!" Wallace said as he strolled up beside her.

"Yeah it was, wasn't it?" Veronica laughed for a moment.

"Hey Wallace, has your mom heard from my dad lately?" Veronica asked wondering if maybe her father had called Alicia Fennel.

"No, why?" Wallace asked. He looked at his friend and saw worry written across her face.

"I just haven't heard from in a while, that's all." Okay so, maybe it was a lie. And maybe Wallace didn't deserve to be lied to, but she didn't want to confirm her own suspicions. And besides, it wasn't even really a lie.

"Huh, well I think my mom and him are going out tomorrow night. I overheard my mom booking a room at the Camelot." Veronica made a face. This was still just too weird.

"As far as I'm concerned it's because they wanted to watch something on HBO." Veronica shuddered at that thought.

"Like what? Porn? Wallace I'm grossed out." She complained and watched as Wallace grimaced at that thought too.

"Ah now why'd you have to put that thought in my brain." The bell rang before she could respond. Wallace waved goodbye as he took off in the opposite direction, she stepped into her class. Great, now she was subjected to _Paradise Regained_.

The whole day Veronica was lost in thoughts. She tried to think about what cases her father had been working on. But as it turned out, she didn't know. Her father had been giving her simple cheating spouses assignments to keep her busy. They came one after another and she didn't even have to fight to do it. She could only assume that her father was trying to keep her occupied so she wouldn't notice what he was working on.

"Clever." She said to herself. A couple of people were looking at her strangely. Nothing new. She shook her head and smiled. Let them think she was crazy, it didn't really matter to her.

When the final bell finally rang she rushed out of the high school to her car. She didn't even stop when Duncan called out her name. She approached her car and apparently Logan Echolls as he was sitting on the hood of her car. 'Great, is he going to smash in my head lights again' she thought. She couldn't afford that, she was leaving town tomorrow, most likely.

"And what can I do for you, oh lovely jackass." Veronica got right to the point, she needed to ransack her dad's office.

"That was clever, Ronnie." She hated when he called her that, it brought up all the wrong memories of when she was still accepted by the brat pack.

"Move." She really wanted to accept the compliment and shove it in his face, but again she had a tight schedule and her father's life could depend on her.

"Not going to happen, Ron." He smiled at her and she wanted nothing more than to punch him.

"Seriously, Logan. Move. I don't have time for your bullshit. So why don't you just do whatever damage your going to do to my car and leave." She watched as he pulled out a crow bar. Ah. She searched for her camera in her bag and secretly turned it on and took the lens cap off. She started taking pictures when he turned his back on her and smashed in her windshield. She cringed. She took another picture, this time as he turned around. He obviously hadn't heard the snapping of the pictures because of the crowd that had formed. Most backed off when they saw her take out her camera.

"Are you done, now?" She asked him as she placed the camera back in her bag. It didn't appear as Logan had noticed.

"Quite!" He smiled and skipped off.

Veronica looked at her car. There was no way she could drive her car home, let alone to San Francisco, where her dad supposedly was. She looked around to see if anyone could give her a ride. She didn't find anyone. She called a tow truck then called Weevil, asking if she could get it towed to his uncle's garage. Then she made a few phone calls in order to get back at Logan Echolls.

That night as she printed out pictures of Logan destroying her car she called her dad once again. It went straight to voicemail. It was turned off. She couldn't even track his phone. All she knew was that her dad had gone to San Francisco and apparently disappeared. She tried to locate his car, the GPS tracking device he had installed just in case was not working. She had nothing to go on, except fear that her dad was hurt or worse. She had called Wallace and explained that in her heart she didn't think her dad would show up for his date with Alicia. Wallace had sounded confused, but this was Veronica, she was rarely wrong.

She had barely noticed anything during school when Friday had finally come around. She had approached Logan during lunch and asked if she could borrow his car that weekend, seeing as hers was ruined. He laughed at her and shooed her away. But she had a plan.

She skipped her last class and had taken a cab to the Echolls mansion. Seeing as how she was a friend of Logan's and Lynn remembered her from before Lilly died she was easily let in. Aaron had come out and greeted her, he was always nice to her, she remembered. She felt bad that she was blackmailing them to get back at Logan.

"What can we do for you Veronica?" Lynn had asked and Veronica smiled at her.

"It's my dad" Veronica paused, these were Kane supporters after all. "He was off chasing a bail jumper and something happened. He's in the hospital, and it's up state and I really want to see him, the doctors wouldn't tell me how bad it is." She paused to wipe away some tears. They were real tears, too.

"And well I don't know if Logan told you but he had a run in yesterday with my car and it's still in the shop." She paused as recognition fell on their faces. Sometimes it sucks to be Veronica Mars.

"And since I'm not eighteen I can't rent a car, and I really need to see my dad." Lynn handed her a tissue. Aaron had picked up the phone. Logan should be out of class right about now.

"And I asked Logan if he could drive me, but he won't. And he won't even pay for the repairs." Aaron looked up at this, something Veronica expected. She was about to be called a gold digger by the most famous face in Neptune.

"Is that what you want, money?" Aaron had asked in a tone Veronica wasn't familiar with. Lynn had tried to shush him.

"Do you even know it was him?" Ah, the million dollar question. Veronica nodded and pulled out the photos of Logan smashing in her windshield with a crow bar. Aaron backed off and Lynn smiled apologetically at her.

"So what do you need Ms. Mars?" Aaron had asked after some silence.

"Do you need a car, we have plenty of cars." Lynn had suggested. Obviously the Echolls had seen the importance in these photos, they would destroy the family if they ended up in the wrong hands.

"You could take Logan's car." Aaron had suggested through grinded teeth. Veronica hoped they didn't think she was blackmailing them, even though she was. She didn't want it to go down that way, she just wanted to find her dad.

"No no no. It's not that." She started crying again.

"I didn't mean that at all, I was just hoping you could pay for the repairs. I can borrow my friends car." She back tracked. She didn't want to do this. She could rent a car with her fake id's.

"Are you sure?" Lynn had asked in a soft caring tone.

"I just want to see my dad." Veronica had no idea why she had cried that, it was probably because of the stress.

"What are you doing here?" Logan's voice sounded. He was clearly accusing her of something.

"Nothing, I'm just going to go." Veronica stood up to leave. Lynn grabbed her hand and pulled her down to the couch and enveloped her in a hug. Veronica always felt helpless when she cried. She probably looked helpless too.

"Good, get out. You're not welcome here." Logan shouted. When would he stop being a psychotic jackass and start being the nice boy who thought she looked cute in knee highs.

"Now Logan, I don't think you should talk that way to her." Aaron announced as he showed his son the photos.

"Why don't you drive Veronica to the hospital." Lynn had suggested.

"No. It's not necessary. Besides it's in San Francisco." Veronica got up and headed for the door.

"Yes Logan, why don't you drive Veronica to the hospital in San Francisco and then when you get back we'll deal with your little misdemeanor. And you'll be paying for that out of your own pocket."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come." Veronica did not want to spend six hours in a car with Logan.

"I'm just going to go." She opened the door to leave. Glancing back to smile appreciatively at Lynn Echolls.

"No, no. I'll drive you Veronica. I don't have anything better to do." Logan's announcement stopped her in her place.

"Let me just pack some clothes. I'll be back in a minute or two." Well, this wasn't going to end well.

Veronica climbed into the passenger seat of the yellow X-Terra. She buckled up and waited for Logan to start chewing her head off. Instead he just started the car and drove off. She wiped away all the residual tears and waited. She didn't know what else to do.

"Can we stop off at my place so I can get a few things?" She asked, again waiting for his response.

"Sure, Ronnie." He smiled at her, sweetly. And then she knew. Logan wasn't going to drive her to San Francisco. He was just going to make it seem that way, and would probably make her life hell when she came back to school on Monday.

Logan stopped his car in front of her apartment building and watched as she got out. He loved that she looked around and made sure she didn't leave anything in his car. He wasn't going to leave her, here, where she could go running back to his parents and tattle on him again. No, he was going to leave her on the roadside, probably in Bakersfield. Just to be annoying. And then he'd drive back and spend the rest of the weekend in Tijuana with Dick and Beaver.

When Veronica entered her apartment she was suspicious. For one, it was unlocked. She couldn't be sure if she left it unlocked in a hurry to ruin Logan's life or left it unlocked because she was in a hurry to find her dad. She looked around the apartment, nothing was in order. Things were thrown about, dishes were broken. Nothing was as she left it. She looked behind her and was happy to see Logan's big yellow car. She ran down the stairs and towards the car, she hoped Logan wouldn't be too evil and drive away. Upon seeing no movement from the car she continued to run around and opened up the drivers door.

"Uh no Ronnie…"

"Come inside with me." She turned and left. She didn't want to wait for him. She asked for help, her dad couldn't be mad at her if something happened.

She raced up the stairs, she was too blind to see anything around her. If someone broke into her apartment she was going to investigate. She flung open the unlocked door and jumped when she saw movement. She raced towards the intruder but tripped over something on the ground.

"Umph." And then she couldn't see anything.

Logan stepped out of his car. Just great. Veronica had blackmailed him, through his parents. The only reason he had agreed was to postpone his father beating him with a belt, and well to leave her on the freeway in the middle of nowhere. He'd get back at her come Monday. He was a little perplexed at why Veronica would want him to come inside with her. Maybe the story about her dad was just a lie and she really wanted to seduce him. Hmm. He wouldn't mind some of that ass.

As he approached the stairs he heard a dog barking frantically, as if a dog could bark frantically. Logan was tempted to get back inside his big yellow car. There was no way Logan Echolls was going to be confronted by Veronica's attack dog. That dog had never liked him, even as a puppy. It was a smart dog. But, for some reason Logan kept going up the stairs. The pit bull howled and suddenly Logan sprinted up the rest of the stairs. He remembered when Keith was training Backup and had told Veronica to feign hurt, Backup's response was to howl. Logan had thought it was ridiculous to see Veronica play dead, or hurt, and had laughed. So did Lilly. But maybe if Lilly had had Backup she wouldn't be dead.

When Logan reached the apartment he pushed the door slightly and felt resistance.

"Veronica!" He yelled and pushed up against the door harder, still resistance.

"Ronnie!" He yelled again and threw his weight against the door. It budged, but only slightly. And that was when Logan realized what was blocking the door, a body, Veronica's body. Unless it was an attacker and then 'Go Veronica'.

Logan squeezed through the doorway. It wasn't easy but once he got his foot in he could push the body, the foot, out of the way to make room for the rest of his body. Once inside, Logan kneeled down next to the tiny blonde. He had surprised himself at how quickly he had gone to her side.

"Old Habit's die hard." He whispered to himself. He leaned down and felt for a pulse. He didn't find one. He searched, frantically, for one, hoping he had felt wrong the first time. All those times he had wished her dead instead of Lilly, he wanted desperately to take them back.

"Come on Ronnie." He cried. She couldn't be dead. He couldn't lose another… what was Veronica? She was a friend, emphasis on was. She was his first crush. And then Logan realized he loved her. He wasn't sure how, or why, or for how long, but he knew he loved her. He wasn't even sure if he still did.

"Please, please, please, don't you go too, Ronnie." His voice cracked and tears obstructed his view. He'd only felt like this once, when Lilly had died.

Backup had stopped yelping and howling for help and had started cleaning his master's head wound. Logan looked up at the pit bull, he was hurt, bleeding. Logan pondered that thought and looked around the apartment, it was trashed. He had remembered Ronnie like to keep things clean and in order. Someone had broken in…

Logan heard a groan and looked up down the hall expecting the intruder to enter. He grabbed a fork, a fork?, and was ready to attack if he had to. But then the body next to him moved and coughed. He dropped the fork and grabbed the blonde into his arms. He smelled in her scent, relieved she wasn't dead. Backup had barked, and Veronica seemed to jolt up. He hand flew to her head. She groaned. Logan smiled. He couldn't see her as she was facing away from him.

"Logan, that better be you and not some creep." He laughed when he noticed she had picked up the fork he had discarded moments before.

"It's me." She relaxed in his arms for a second. Logan thought it felt… normal. She wasn't supposed to be tense around him, she was supposed to be Veronica. Sweet and innocent Veronica, who blushed at even the slightest innuendo. But then Veronica tensed up again, as if remembering she shouldn't be relieved to find herself in Logan Echolls arms. He couldn't blame her.

"Backup!" Veronica launched out of his arms, apparently having re-oriented herself, and towards her injured dog.

"Oh, what happened? Who's a good boy? You are. You are." Logan watched as she checked her dog for wounds. He thought it odd that she talked to the dog, but maybe that was because it was the only act that reminded him of the old Veronica, pre- Lilly's murder Veronica. She pulled her hand away from Backup's belly and her hand was covered in blood. Something snapped in Logan. He stood up and grabbed a butchers knife.

"Ronnie? I'm going to check the other rooms, okay?" She nodded. Logan watched as she grabbed a dish towel and told Backup to roll over. Logan figured if her dog was that hurt, and she was hurt (for whatever reason), that this was serious. He hadn't seen anybody leave the apartment, so he decided to do some exploring.

When Logan came back, unsuccessful, Veronica was on the phone with the vet. She was crying. Logan looked at her and noticed the black eye she had. He was about to say something when Veronica looked up at him, he eyes sad and urgent.

"Can you take Backup to the Vet, the one on the corner of market. I'm going to pack some things, see if they left any clues and then we can leave." Veronica didn't want to act like such a pushy bitch, but this was her dog, and her father's life, and apparently hers.

"I'm not leaving you alone." Veronica rolled her eyes. Oh course, Logan would be stubborn and try to play hero.

"Look Backup's hurt, and badly. He needs a vet, and now. I still have to look around and grab some things." She didn't understand Logan's position, she just didn't. And to make it worse, she didn't know what his position was.

"No. You're hurt too. And they could come back." Logan yelled at her. Since when did Veronica Mars stop caring about her well being?

"Look around Logan. This is amateur. They aren't coming back. Now take Backup to the vet now, and I promise you can take me to the doctor. But I have to find some things and I don't know how long that'll take, and I don't know how long Backup has." Her eyes pleaded with Logan's to just do what she asked. He sighed and Veronica knew she won. She kissed Backup and walked towards her room. She was going to need disguises and bugs and her computer, which thankfully she had in her bag. But most importantly she was going to need a gun. She heard the door close and knew Logan was going to take care of her dog.

She grabbed a duffle bag, how it ended up in her dresser, specifically the bottom drawer, was beyond her. She threw some wigs in the bag, a fancy dress, some regular clothes. She threw in her curling iron and straightener, plus her makeup. All this seemed unnecessary, but she was sure, after coming home and finding her dog had been shot and her apartment was ransacked that this was bigger than she could have possibly imagined. She went into her dad's room and grabbed all the bugs and transmitters that she possibly could. She found the safe, un-broken into and quickly opened it. (Her dad had told her he kept his guns in there, if for any reason she should need one, there was a lecture or two about what situation she had to be in to need a gun, that she should know exactly where they were and how to get them.) She grabbed the two 9mm guns and all the ammo. She shoved them in her bag and then closed the safe. She pulled out her cell phone, and looked at the time. Five minutes since Logan had left.

Veronica sighed and sat on her father's bed. Was there anything else she needed? She had to think quick. She told Logan it was amateur, but this was professional slime bag territory. The mob could easily be behind this, in which case they were bound to visit again. She stared at the wall, it was moving ever so gently. She looked at her dads alarm clock. It was still plugged in.

Veronica thought that was weird, for one that she noticed and two because everything else had been unplugged. She got up and looked at it real close. 2:52 it read. Wasn't it closer to like 3:30? She looked down at her cell phone it read 3:47pm. She looked at the alarm clock again 2:33.

"Wait a second" She thought. Her world was growing fuzzy. She placed her hand on her head to steady herself, right away she noticed the sticky substance. She was bleeding, and badly. She looked at the clock again 1:44.

"Shit!" She shouted. Her world briefly coming into focus. She grabbed the clock on impulse and pulled it towards her. The cord was ripped out of the wall, but the numbers were still illuminated and counting backwards. A ticking sound was suddenly heard. She dropped the clock and grabbed her duffel bag and book bag.

00:28. 00:27... Veronica flew down the stairs, wishing she had grabbed the photo of her and Lilly that was on her vanity mirror. She ran down the stairs seeing nothing but the blood from her head wound. She saw Mrs. Krepling, her neighbor, running down the stairs in front of her.

"Veronica!" Someone called her name. She didn't know who.

"Hurry! There's a bomb." No shit, she wanted to say. Someone grabbed her hand and Veronica let them lead her wherever, she didn't have time for this. The next thing she knew she was being thrown into the pool, the person who had grabbed her hand splashed next to her. Considering she was in a pool, it was very hot. Someone was holding her under the water, she struggled against the person, she struggled for air.

When she finally came up there was debris everywhere and fire eating away at what used to be her home. A man surfaced next to her, she couldn't recognize him, but at this point she wouldn't be able to recognize the boogeyman. She was kept within the man's distance who was keeping her afloat. At some point, the man pulled her to the side of the pool and helped her out.

"Veronica, are you okay?" The man was concerned, and sounded fatherly. She was trying so hard to stay conscious.

"My bag?" Veronica asked, knowing it was important if she was going to save her dad. There was no question about whether he was in danger or not anymore.

"Veronica?" Another voice screamed. It was male and frantic.

"Veronica?" The first voice asked, or was it the second. It sounded so much closer than before. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she fought once again. She snapped her eyes open and tried to focus on the face hovering above her.

"Veronica!" It was the second voice, it was younger and still slightly frantic. She figured he must have found her since his voice was more concerned than afraid. But still, Veronica focused on the man in front of her.

"Dad?"

"Mr. Mars?"

Veronica jumped up and hugged him. Sure, her world was blurry and fading in and out of complete blackness but she had time to hug her dad.

"We have to go, dad. Someone... We're not…We have to go. Please… Not safe…" Veronica rubbed her eyes, her world was becoming slightly more clear.

"I know honey. Are you okay? You need a hospital." Keith told his daughter, although he knew he couldn't bring her to one. Everyone he loved was in danger, she wouldn't be safe in a hospital.

"No we can't. We have to go. Now." Veronica sprang to her feet. Keith was right there when she collapsed.

"It's not safe at the hospital. You're right we have to go." Keith looked at the duffel bag, somehow it was unharmed next to her book bag. How they survived he would never know.

"What's in the bag, sweetie?" Keith asked. He wanted so much to be a concerned father, but in a few minutes he wasn't sure he would be a father anymore, not that Veronica was going to die, but because someone was going to kill her.

"Mr. Mars. She has to go to the hospital." Logan put in his two cents.

"Not now, Logan. You have your car?" Logan nodded, this was ridiculous.

"Good, grab her bags and floor it." Logan twitched at Keith's no question tone. Somehow Logan had been pulled into something so serious that Keith was ignoring his daughters health. But Logan did as he was told.

Keith picked Veronica up and hurried towards Logan's atrocious yellow X-Terra. They'd have to ditch it, soon. It was too noticeable. Keith sadly noticed his daughter's lack of resistance, it meant she was really hurt. She'd have to go to the hospital, and Keith knew she'd have to wait until they left the L.A. area. A few hours tops.

"Where to, Mr. Mars." Logan asked, hoping he'd say the Hospital. Instead Keith gave instructions to another house. It would hardly be considered a safe house. But when Logan pulled up he noticed Wallace and a black woman, who he assumed was Wallace's mother, standing out front with a couple of bags. Keith unwound the window and called them over.

"Alicia get in the front with Logan, Wallace back here with me." Keith ordered. The Fennels did as they were told. Both gasped when they noticed Veronica, barely conscious sitting, now, in the middle of Keith and Wallace. She was leaning up against Keith and her breathing was real shallow.

"Where's Darryl?" Keith asked Alicia. She turned around at him, terrified of this situation she was in.

"At his grandmothers. Is he safe there?" Alicia asked frantically. Logan assumed Darryl was also her son.

"Yeah, he should be."

"Should?"

"Alicia, I don't think they're out to get him. They're out to get me and people I'm close with."

"In other words, Mrs. Fennel…" Veronica paused trying to compose her thoughts.

"They'll be too busy trying to get us, that they won't…" She trailed off and nobody breathed a sigh of relief. Sure, Darryl was safe, but at what cost?

"We need to ditch this car. I know a place." Veronica announced. Keith looked at her intently and Logan looked offended.

"What's wrong with my car?"

"You want your getaway car to be a big yellow SUV?" Wallace asked hysterically. He didn't want to be any part of this any more than the others, plus his best friend was hanging on for dear life. Veronica gave directions to a junkyard and Logan drove quietly. This was too much.

Veronica talked to this guy, Angel, and secured a white windowless van that would run smoothly and was not in any way stolen. She also made sure that they kept the yellow X-Terra and to not destroy it or sell it. They'd pay later or something. Logan's Spanish wasn't that great.

"Dad?" Veronica asked as they set out once again, in the van. This time Alicia was driving.

"What's this about?" She continued when Keith didn't answer her.

"I'm not sure. You have your computer?" Veronica nodded.

"Can you hack files?" Veronica shook her head.

"Anyone? Can anyone hack files?" Keith asked the car. Everyone shook their head.

"I know someone who can." Veronica offered quietly. Wallace looked at her, stunned. Was she really going to drag someone else into this mess?

"Pull over." Keith ordered.

He and Veronica walked over to a payphone. Untraceable. Veronica was going to ask whoever it was if they wanted to get involved. Logan watched from the back of the van. A van that had no seats in the back. He was sitting on the ground. Wallace was sitting next to him.

"This is fucked up!" Wallace announced.

"Wallace!" His mother scolded.

"Mom, it is. Veronica is holding on for dear life, Logan Echolls is sitting next to me, Keith won't tell us what's going on, just that we're in danger. And now we need mad computer skills. Oh and the Mars residence was blown up. I don't know about you, but I don't see how a damn thing about this is dandy." Wallace blew off some steam and the two others in the car remained quiet.

"I don't get why I have to stay. It's not like I'm close to the Mars'." Logan announced as the van door opened. Veronica fell in. Keith was still on the phone.

"Because they might have seen you with me. They might have followed me, you, who knows. If they think I'm connected to you in any way, you're in danger too. They'll use you as leverage." Veronica laid down on Wallace's lap. She closed her eyes.

Wallace watched his best friend fall into the van. She crawled closer to him and Logan. He heard to her words but listened to her voice, the tone. She was tired. She was fading. Wallace knew she was a fighter, but only Veronica Mars could fight for so long. When he noticed her eyes snap shut, he slapped her face. He slapped it hard. He knew she needed to stay awake until they could take her to a hospital. He slapped her again, this time her eyes opened up. She looked up at Wallace and smiled sadly. She knew what he was thinking, because she was thinking it.

"How are you feeling, Veronica?" Alicia asked, trying to keep the young girl talking and conscious.

"Oh you know. I feel like crap. How about you? I bet you're loving this." Veronica laughed cynically or was it out of exhaustion.

The door slid open and Keith climbed in. He glanced sorrowfully at his daughter, she looked so exhausted. She looked so sad.

"Mac said she's in. We're to pick her up in twenty minutes at the Sac N Pac." Keith told everyone in the van. Everyone sat in the car silently for a few minutes before Keith spoke up again.

"We should all go to the bank and take out our maximum bank withdrawal. Cash is the key to a successful getaway." Alicia nodded and drove towards the closest bank. She got out and used the ATM first. Logan and Wallace went next, Logan walked into the bank and withdrew a large sum of cash, clearly he had the most available to him. He walked over to the payphone nearby and called his mom, explaining that he could be out of town for a while, that something weird was going on, that she should not worry.

Keith took Veronicas debit card and asked for her pin, he walked up to the ATM and took out Veronica's maximum amount, then his own. He noticed a pharmacy across the street and went in. Veronica needed medical attention now, the least he could do was clean her up a little bit.

Keith strolled the aisles dumping anything that might be of some use to them into his basket. Anti-bacterial ointment, anti-itch cream, isopropyl alcohol, gauze pad, band aids, and ace bandages. He bought water and Advil, and one of those home first aid kits. He bought some protein bars and a few candy bars. Keith knew what he was doing. He didn't want to draw attention to the pharmacist that someone was hurt, but everything he bought was useful. He bought a sewing kit, a lighter, a blood pressure monitor (that set him back some dough) a fleece blanket, and a pillow. At the weird look from the cashier Keith threw in some gum and said he was going camping with his paranoid pre-med daughter, who was also a klutz.

When Keith re-entered the van he noticed Veronica was asleep, or passed out. That was not a good sign. He'd have to wake her up. Wallace got in the front seat buckled up. He looked back at Mr. Mars, his eyes pleading for reassurance.

"She'll be okay, right?" Logan asked, surprised by the concern in his voice, although he shouldn't considering what happened earlier when he thought she was dead.

"Let's just pick up Mac and get out of the county limit. We'll go from there." Alicia started the car and Keith poured some water on Veronica's face, hoping to wake her up.

"Veronica, honey?" Keith asked gently. She opened her eyes halfway and groaned.

"I just want to go to sleep, daddy." She whined. Veronica Mars was not a whiner, she was however extremely tired. She probably had a concussion, why else would it be necessary to keep her awake.

"Honey this is going to hurt." Keith poured the water on his daughter's head wound. She winced a little, because it was cold. He grabbed a gauze pad and gently pressed on the wound. He hoped it had stopped bleeding. When Keith pulled it away he, noticed that the wound had not healed. Shit! This was not good. Veronica swatted his hand when he went about wiping the dried blood away.

"Honey, I have to do this." Keith assured her in an non-assuring tone. Veronica laughed cynically. The van came to a stop.

Wallace jumped out of the van and saw Mac looking around, probably for Veronica's LeBaron. Despite the fact that Wallace knew they were in a hurry he couldn't stop himself from taking small, quiet steps. Mac hadn't noticed him yet, and Wallace really hoped that she'd reconsider and go back home. Annoying little brothers or not, Wallace knew what that was like, she shouldn't willingly put her life on the line. But then again, it wasn't fair that he didn't have a choice. His mother barely had a choice, and Logan was blackmailed into this, well not entirely this, but nevertheless he couldn't turn back and go home. Veronica had a choice, sort of, at least that's what Wallace wants to believe. Veronica didn't have to start investigating her father's lack of contact over the last week. But had she really investigated it? And had she not, would that mean she would have blown up in the explosion, be nothing more than pink mist? Or would she had become victim to those who planted the bomb? Wallace shuddered. Maybe Veronica had no choice, she would have been pulled into this no matter what. And what about Keith? Didn't he have the real choice, had he not taken on the case, then no one would be in the van, no one would have been scared for their lives, Veronica wouldn't be looking like she was on her death bed, he wouldn't be picking up Mac at his place of employment.

"Wallace!" Mac spotted him and came rushing towards him. She had a duffel bag, a sleeping bag, her computer and useful equipment and her leopard print purse, which was bursting with cash. Keith had covered his bases. Wallace hugged Mac, knowing that now she couldn't turn back. She could have been spotted hugging him, her life would be endangered anyway.

"Do you know what's going on?" Mac asked with an inquisitive tone. Wallace wondered if Keith had simply told her to prepare for a slumber party.

"No, not really. I know nothing, except this isn't a game. I wish it were a game. Someone blew up Veronica's apartment building. " Mac gasped, and suddenly looked unsure.

"You can't turn back now, Mac." Wallace took her bags from her and showed her to the white van. He slid open the door just in time to hear Veronica swear.

"Son of a bitch, that fucking hurt!" Keith had just poured isopropyl alcohol on her head wound.

"Veronica! That is no way to talk about your grandmother. And watch your mouth." Keith scolded and Logan suddenly burst out laughing. Veronica was usually so straight laced. He was greatly amused by her dirty mouth. It must have been Lilly's influence.

"You! Shut up!" Keith ordered as he turned around to face the immature rich boy.

"Hi, you must be Mac. I'm Keith Mars, we spoke on the phone." Keith turned towards the girl with blue streaks in her hair. He offered out his hand for a proper introduction but noticed it was covered in Veronica's blood. He retracted his hand and went back to cleaning his daughters wound.

"Hurry up, get in." Keith urged the two teenagers who were either repulsed or wanted nothing more than to just turn around and run for dear life.

Mac hoped in, carefully climbing over Veronica, giving the petite blonde a concerned smile and a slight wave as she did so. She threw her bags in the back next to Logan and plopped down beside him. He didn't so much as glance at her, but she didn't expect anything different from an 09er. Wallace climbed into the front seat and slammed the door.

"Hey, BFF, try to close the door a little quietly next time, some of us have headaches." Veronica jokingly scolded. Mac laughed despite herself, and to her surprise so did everyone else.

Wallace turned around and glanced at Veronica, he gave her a small smile as if to say 'I'm sorry'. Veronica just waved it away.

"Keep still young lady!" Keith reprimanded. He put some anti bacterial gunk on her wound then put a gauze pad on it.

"Logan do me a favor and open the first aid kit. Get out the medical tape." Logan was sick of orders but did so anyway. The tough guy in him wanted to resist the thought that he was only obeying because Veronica Mars was hurt. But, it was true. He wouldn't be in this car right now if she was okay. In fact he'd be in his own car, probably leaving her at the side of the freeway, somewhere where she didn't get cell phone reception. Of course, it's not like she'd have been in a better situation there, but at least he wouldn't have to feel obligated to worry about her. Obligated? What was making him feel obligated now? Now _he_ had a headache.

The van drove off, heading towards the highway. Everyone was tense, but more importantly everyone was scared.

**10 days later, Monday, Neptune high.**

_Returning to Neptune high was awkward. For all of us. We had formed a bond. A bond that almost every group forms when looking down the barrel of a gun, four or five times. It was hard to adjust to the way things were before. Wallace, Mac, Logan and I had formed a team while we were on vacation. Vacation, ha! But now we're back to the same old routine, ignoring each other. Or new routine, for some of us. _

"Hey Mac." Veronica greeted once she finally found the computer genius and backed her up against a wall so she couldn't run away.

"Veronica, I have to go." Mac tried to push her way past, but Veronica grabbed her arm preventing her from getting away. She was used to being the pariah, hell, she was used to being a plague victim, but not from Mac. Veronica knew she didn't have many friends, but the few she did, she thought she could count on.

"I get the distinct impression that you're avoiding me." Veronica paused.

"I'm not used to that from you." She continued. Mac shrugged her shoulders offering a non answer and pushed past the tiny blonde.

"Mac! Come on, talk to me!" Veronica begged, not wanting to lose one of her closest friends. But the girl with blue streaks in her hair just continued down the hall.

_I guess a few tangos with death makes you reconfigure your life. You know, career paths, what clubs to join, whether you should have school spirit, who you hang out with. And in my case, where you live. _

_The thing I don't understand, is why? I mean all four of us- Me, Mac, Wallace and Logan, we were all chummy like playing drinking games and smoking cigars at the poker table chummy. But I guess Neptune really does change a person._

_Wallace won't talk to me either…_

At lunch Veronica walked over to her usual table, her and Wallace's usual table, but stopped when she noticed them. That is Mac, Logan and Wallace. The three of them were just sitting there, talking. Veronica didn't have time to process anything. She set her tray down at a nearby table and ran back into the Neptune high hallway. She flung the front doors open and ran to her car, newly fixed thanks to Weevil and the Echolls money. She started her car and drove away. She didn't know where she was going, but she wasn't going to stay.

_I felt betrayed. Those three had been ignoring me since we got back late Thursday night, but apparently they hadn't been ignoring each other._

"She cornered me earlier today." Mac announced to the two boys. Wallace nodded, saying he had been cornered earlier too. Logan didn't say anything, his behavior towards Veronica was expected.

"I felt bad. She's hurting." Mac continued. She really did feel bad for excluding Veronica, but she didn't know what else to do.

"Yeah, well I'm her BFF, whatever that is, it means a lot to her, though. And I've been ignoring her." Wallace looked down at his food, nasty cafeteria food.

"Maybe we should talk to her." The girl offered timidly.

"But Keith said…" Logan snapped his mouth shut, he had just caught sight of a very small blonde running in the opposite direction of them. He wanted to call out to her, he wanted to hug her, he wanted to kiss her… Well, he wanted to do a lot to the tiny blonde, not all it would be PG-13. But he knew she wouldn't stop. Logan's staring had caught the attention of Mac and Wallace as they turned around to see what Logan was looking at. At that point, though, Veronica was out of sight.

"You saw her?" Wallace asked Logan.

"More importantly, she saw us?" Mac meekly questioned. She liked Veronica, she really did. Veronica was a good friend, albeit she had trust issues, but she was fiercely reliable. In other words, Veronica had your back, even if she didn't want to. And the week they spent together had only reinforced that thought.

Logan nodded to both their questions. He felt bad. Sure, he had been nothing more than a jerk, a psychotic jackass (her words), to her in the past. But that all changed. He had spent one measly week with her, actually slightly less than a week, and had gotten to know the new Veronica. To his surprise, he liked the new her. He liked the old Veronica a little more because she was so gullible and naïve, but this new jaded Veronica worked for him too. Ah, he was so going to hell for his thoughts. And if he didn't stop thinking about them he'd need a cold shower.

"It's not fair." Wallace announced pulling Logan out of his dirty thoughts.

"What?" Mac took the bait and questioned.

"This, everything. I mean hasn't Veronica gone through enough? And now, we're excluding her, ignoring her. It just doesn't seem fair." Mac and Logan looked down as Wallace spoke.

"It's not fair. But it's not fair on us either. I like Veronica. She's a good friend." Mac put her two pieces in.

"Yeah well Keith said…" Logan said once again. He had learned to take orders from the man.

"I know what he said! It just doesn't make it right. I mean who is he to say who we can and cannot hang out with." The brunette exclaimed. She had a valid point. The two boys nodded their heads.

"He's her father." Logan tried to defend the man in question but was finding himself agreeing more with Mac than Keith.

"Don't you think he should have talked to her about it?"

"Veronica doesn't listen."

"Hey, what's this heated debate about?" Duncan asked as he approached the table. He thought it was weird that Logan was sitting at Veronica's table with two people he had never met before.

"It's nothing man. It's over." Logan stood up and walked over to the 09er table with his best friend. Everything was going back to normal. Everything had to go back to normal because this was Neptune and Neptune didn't accept change very well.

End Chapter.

I realize this chapter is really long, i cannot promise that all the chapters following will be also. I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter, drop me a line. I'm open to all kinds of suggestions.


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